Toe shoes, pigs, clogs, moose: What’s next in public sculptures?

Artist Catherine Wagner Minnery, right, with her toe shoe at the unveiling of "Saratoga En Pointe" (Joe Putrock/Special to the Times Union)

Artist Catherine Wagner Minnery, right, with her toe shoe at the unveiling of "Saratoga En Pointe" (Joe Putrock/Special to the Times Union)

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A Guilderland pig (Will Waldron/Times Union)

A Guilderland pig (Will Waldron/Times Union)

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An Albany clog (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

An Albany clog (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

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Artist Thomas Dragonette with his shoe at the unveiling of "Saratoga En Pointe" (Joe Putrock/Special to the Times Union)

Artist Thomas Dragonette with his shoe at the unveiling of "Saratoga En Pointe" (Joe Putrock/Special to the Times Union)

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A Bennington moose at the Albany Airport (Will Waldron / Times Union)

A Bennington moose at the Albany Airport (Will Waldron / Times Union)

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Another Guilderland pig (Guilderland Chamber of Commerce)

Another Guilderland pig (Guilderland Chamber of Commerce)

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Judith Vincent of Troy and her Uncle Sam creation stand with Fred Polnisch at the statue depicting the Birds Of Oakwood Cemetery (83 birds), where Samuel Wilson, the inspiration behind Uncle Sam, is buried

Judith Vincent of Troy and her Uncle Sam creation stand with Fred Polnisch at the statue depicting the Birds Of Oakwood Cemetery (83 birds), where Samuel Wilson, the inspiration behind Uncle Sam, is buried

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Toe shoes, pigs, clogs, moose: What's next in public sculptures?

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If you’ve been to Saratoga Springs lately, maybe you’ve noticed the five-foot fiberglass toe shoes standing tall around the city. “Saratoga En Pointe,” a public art project sponsored by the National Musuem of Dance, features 24 sculptures painted by 21 artists.

Some have a nature theme; some have a ballet theme (makes sense); some are abstract. All of them are cheerful expressions of civic pride. And all of them feature a chunk of the ankle itself, much like the shoes on Bratz dolls – which, as tween-age girls and their moms will tell you, lack feet entirely.

Saratoga’s balletic footwear is hardly the first such public sculpture effort. The Spa City displayed artfully decorated horses, remember? Bennington had moose, Guilderland had pigs. Albany scattered Dutch clogs around the city, but they were empty and footless. Just the shoes.

What’s next? What other regionally themed public art would you like to see – or rather not see – squatting agreeably on street corners? Apples? Electric appliances? Troy-themed collars (attached to necks)? Tech Valley pocket protectors (attached to chests)? Scaled-down Half Moons, maybe? Giant sturgeons? What do you think?

Amy Biancolli

One Response

How about we suggest a theme and invite artists to do what they do best – create their own artwork. Frankly, I’m tired of precast canvases in silly shapes. I’d like to see our Capital District cities support the real work of our regional artists!